Official Game Preview: Knicks at Hawks (7:30 PM Tip!)

[lethalweapon3]

“Could’ve done this with my own arm, but okay!”

 

It’s the first day after Christmas. Did your true love give to thee -- a Kristaps Porzingis jersey?

Hands down, Kris P. Kreme is the hottest, freshest thing flying out of the Big Apple’s ovens these days. Children trained by their fathers to thumb-down the selection of the 7-foot-3 Latvian-a-leaping over the past summer are now, in what is purported to be wintertime, begging Santa, the NBA Store, and anyone who’ll listen for his jersey.

That has a lot to do with the 20-year-old’s highlight-reel talents. It also has an awful lot more to do with the name of the city on the front of the jersey. Porzingis’ New York Knicks are in town to face the Atlanta Hawks (EARLY START: 7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast, MSG Network), and dormant Knicks fans around the ATL could not be more pleased.

You have to keep this all in context. The Knicks have exactly one 50-plus win season, and one playoff series victory, in the past 16 NBA seasons, including this one. That season had Mike Woodson, of all people, running the show. At this point, as the calendar turns toward 2016, Knick fans around the globe could not possibly care less about title contention. Winning always sounds great. But failing that, they simply want to be entertained.

Linsanity, Imandemonium, Zingsanity, whatever it’s called these days, just make the darn games interesting. Do fans fret over whether Derek Fisher and this concocted New York (14-16) roster are mediocre, at best? Does Spike Lee care if Chi-Raq or whatever he cranks out breaks even at the box office, or gets three stars from critics, anymore? All that matters, for now, is give Knicks fans a decent reason to watch.

The Porzstar (23 points, 13 rebounds @ CLE on Dec. 23) is doing all of that, and more. Judging from the reactions of the Gotham populace, one would think he was doing much more than averaging 13.3 PPG while shooting 42.5% from the floor (making roughly a third of his threes). But on a team that’s spent multiple seasons with players merely going through the motions, Porzingis’ 8.2 RPG (2.2 offensive) and 2.0 BPG shows he is putting forward the effort, and has the attitude to kick any mistaken aspersions of cottony Euro-softness to the proverbial curb. He’ll see to it that this ain’t Frederic Weis Redux, or Andrea Bargnani Junior.

Carmelo Anthony has to feel like it’s Christmas morning each time he steps onto the floor. He’s scoring the fewest points per game (21.8 PPG) since his sophomore campaign in Denver, while shooting a career low 42.1 FG%. But nobody cares. All eyes aren’t on him anymore. There’s no need to be Manhattan’s LeBron. Plus, he doesn’t have to wear himself out at the 4-spot anymore, so long as Porzingis and Robin Lopez (7.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.1 BPG, and 48.5 FG%, lowest in past four seasons) are hanging around.

The Knicks’ leading scorer injured his ankle on Monday in the Knicks’ loss to New York, sat out Wednesday’s loss in Cleveland, and might rest again as the Knicks embark on a 3-games-in-4-nights swing. But who cares, really? Nobody’s freaking out about the 31-year-old’s salary pushing $25-million over the next two seasons, or questioning if he deserves to be an All-Star starter, or an All-Star at all, or whether he wants to be traded, or the missus’ Twitter-pinions about anything. If he can contribute tonight, tomorrow, or next season, that’s really swell. If not, oh, well! The Bright Lights of the Bigger City now shine on Porzingis, and Melo couldn’t be happier.

After a lost first season at the helm, Fisher has his future star here with Melo, Jose Calderon, Arron Afflalo, and Lopez, and all of them are sorting out this whole Triangle thingie together. They are quite content with keeping the pace low (24^th in NBA) and finding the best long-range shot they can get near the end of the shot clock, so it’s not much of a surprise that despite Porzingis and Lopez’s talents the Knicks rank last in the league with 33.6 PPG in-the-paint.

Being out-scored by over 10 PPG in-the-paint won’t help against the Hawks, who oppose the Knicks three times over the next five games and whose 52.4 PPG in-the-paint since starting their five-game win streak on Dec. 16 ranks 3^rd in the league. That’s unless Atlanta (19-12) suffers once again from the post-holiday blahs.

Spirits were merry and bright for the Hawks last year at this same time, riding a five game win streak and a spiffy 21-7 record into a post-Christmas home game against Milwaukee. That was before Jared Dudley put some coal in their stockings, Atlanta disappointing upbeat fans with a 30-point letdown. At that time, though, there was no sense that a 19-game win streak and heightened expectations would follow.

A year later, Atlanta has to come out tonight playing strong perimeter defense, versus everyone from Melo and Porzingis to Sasha Vujacic and Lance Thomas, and keeping the Knicks from a bunch of extra-chances. The struggle for New York is greater without Kyle O’Quinn, perhaps their top-performing defensive big man, who remains questionable with an ankle injury.

If you’re Kyle Korver (3-for-5 3FGs @ NYK on Oct. 29), chances are Arron Afflalo and the Knicks’ opposing guards will Forget You are open for jumpers, and you have to take advantage when the ball comes your way. Jeff Teague (team-high 23 points, 9-for-10 FTs @ NYK on Oct. 29) bounced back with a magnificent game against the Pistons (team-high 23 points, 9 assists, 4 steals, 2 TOs) on Wednesday. Teague has to bring the same level of energy, and when on the occasions when they are bottled up in the paint, they have to be mindful of open shooters like Korver and Kent Bazemore, and not force interior shots.

They’re the flagship NBA team of America’s biggest market, and have not one NBA title in the past 40 years to show for their trouble. At this point, the Knicks’ fans simply don’t worry about winning the next game or the next ring, so long as their team shows some competitive fire from night to night. Does that make them Crazy? Possibly. But who cares?

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

 

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[Lurker]

With the emergence of Porzingis it's a huge mistake to not start Splitter and go big. Bazemore CAN NOT guard Melo.

[Guest]

I fell in love with Mike Scott all over again...(f*** you it's the holidays)..

[Lurker]

Great win

[capstone21]

Man that first quarter they were still coming out of our turkey coma ... Then ATL decided to destroy the Knicks

[Atlantaholic]

Murdered them in the second half. The Hawks are looking a lot like last years' team the last couple of games, and that's with our three point shooting still slumping. 

[Sarcatic1]

Good win

Al and Sap were great

Jeff was good

Bench was great. So nice to have this version of Scott back

Korver and Baze were awful on both ends

[Guest]

Down 15, win by 19, 50 bench points, 9 turnovers, 13 steals, 33 assists, 6 game winning streak. Merry Christmas. 

[Plainview1981]

A beat down of the Knicks is the best Christmas present I got this season. The only one that didn't pull his weight tonight was Korver.

[lethalweapon3]

Aside: Cavs seem to have had the same meal the Hawks had. Looking pretty bad in the 1st Q at Portland. (They did play GSW on Xmas Day, though, so maybe a bit tired. but still).

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

Hawks won!  Wasn't that a great second half and a terrible first quarter.  We've got two more

games against the Knickerbockers within a short,  short time.

Also, the mighty Cleveland team, who everyone knows are far superior to any other NBA team

known to man, lost last night and are currently behind in their later game.  Down 29  at half!

If they lose tonight Hawks would still have 3 more losses on their record.  Oh, well.

[lethalweapon3]

ATL: "NO!"

NYC: "YES!"

~lw3

[MaceCase]

53 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Aside: Cavs seem to have had the same meal the Hawks had. Looking pretty bad in the 1st Q at Portland. (They did play GSW on Xmas Day, though, so maybe a bit tired. but still).

~lw3

Oh?  They're playing a backs tos bwacks?

Poor things.....

Maybe they should tap into that 4 games of extra rest they have on the Hawks.

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

Hawks won!  Wasn't that a great second half and a terrible first quarter.  We've got two more

games against the Knickerbockers within a short,  short time.

Also, the mighty Cleveland team, who everyone knows are far superior to any other NBA team

known to man, lost last night and are currently behind in their later game.  Down 29  at half!

If they lose tonight Hawks would still have 3 more losses on their record.  Oh, well.

My new favorite non-Hawk, Crabbe, is ballin outta control vs the Calfs.

[Atlantaholic]

So one game out of 1st place two months in. Not bad for a "disappointing" start to the season. 

[benhillboy]

 

5 hours ago, Atlantaholic said:

So one game out of 1st place two months in. Not bad for a "disappointing" start to the season. 

We're kinda spoiled like that Mavericks team that had gone to the playoffs 7 or 8 years straight, gaining experience and heartaches while pushing to get over the hump.  I'm confident the team learned valuable lessons through the early "struggles" while we sat back bitching like the armchair coaches we are.

The chemistry this team has is invaluable and only rivaled or surpassed by SA and GS.  Toronto is up there but their core has less experience together with a lot of roster turnover from last year.  I take pride in the fact my team doesn't have any of the silly issues other "contending" teams have because of childish egos, power plays, and poor coaching.

I don't know exactly what the staff has done, but they've clearly found alternatives to relying on Kyle so much since we've gotten practice time.  I'm not gonna hang my hat on Molly Mike staying consistent though.  

There had to have been some defensive wrinkles worked in too.  The breakdown of rotations and attacking of open spaces has decreased considerably.

Sometimes it was just as simple as effort early on, and Al has shown clear improvement in that department.  Maybe he had a pass to coast until Christmas or something.  He's been sighted banging and flashing down low. I should've gotten video for proof.

Looking at a Knicks fan board, they'd sever a digit for just a serviceable PG, and our backup would still dominate him.

Show Peachtree some love, nice recognition of Lamar:

http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2015/12/26/10668632/lamar-patterson-tim-hardaway-jr-atlanta-hawks-decision-mike-budenholzer

[Gray Mule]

Do you feel it, Cleveland?  Just a tiny bit?  No!  You are in first place, all by yourself.  Pressure?

Heck no  We are the greatest.  We're so good that our poop don't stink!  Pressure?  What pressure?

When you wake up on the morning of 12\27\2015, check the standing in the east.  You find the Cavs

all alone and the other teams playing catch up.  Nothing could possible go wrong, could it?

19-9 - - Cleveland Cavs

20-12 - Atlanta Hawks -- 1 game behind

18-11 - Miami Heat ------ 1.5 games behind

19-12 - Toronto Raptors -- 1.5 games behind

Surely you can't believe that one of these three teams behind the Cavs would dare try to take the

lead in the east.  No way!  We have "The King!"  Everything else we have falls in place behind him.

 

[bumpyphish1]

From midway through the first through the end, that was an absolutely dominant performance.  We basically spotted them 15 points and won by 20.

I haven't been able to watch as many games this year as usual (usually every one) but I focused on that game intently and it was a joy to watch,  Our guys played such unselfish BUD ball.  No one scored 20 yet we scored over 110.  The double pass of the pseudo-oop from Dennis to Al back to Thabo or Millsap or Baze or Scott was sick.  That's what Al Horford can do that other people with his size and strength can't.

I'm really surprised this board doesn't give more props to Horf.

Edited December 27, 2015 by bumpyphish1

[AUhawksfan]

19 minutes ago, bumpyphish1 said:

From midway through the first through the end, that was an absolutely dominant performance.  We basically spotted them 15 points and won by 20.

I haven't been able to watch as many games this year as usual (usually every one) but I focused on that game intently and it was a joy to watch,  Our guys played such unselfish BUD ball.  No one scored 20 yet we scored over 110.  The double pass of the pseudo-oop from Dennis to Al back to Thabo or Millsap or Baze or Scott was sick.  That's what Al Horford can do that other people with his size and strength can't.

I'm really surprised this board doesn't give more props to Horf.

Al has gotten plenty of props in seasons past and he will get some more from me if he continues this play.

I think the beginning of the season put a sour taste in everyone's mouth with his play.  Settling for jumpers, not rebounding or hustling, etc.  Maybe it took someone to light a fire in him but he's been looking much better as of late.

[bumpyphish1]

I really don't buy that so much because if one is a legit Hawks fan, one should have known long ago Al Horford is an elite player in this league--he doesn't have anything to prove.  He's a class act, selfless, will perform whatever role is needed usually with success and is an extremely versatile athlete and ball handler for his frame.  He has intangibles like BBall IQ and leadership qualities and he's just not flashy enough to garner as much praise as he deserves.  But. an undervalued Al is great for us in the offseason.  Dude is underrated nationally and by our many of our fans.  Only gets in All-Star games as a reserve due to the voting nonsense.  It all works to our favor.  I'd rather our team and players soar under the radar.

Edited December 27, 2015 by bumpyphish1